The Efficacy and Safety of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: An Update.

The efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma and adipose-derived stem cells: an update.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Arch Plast Surg. 2012 Nov; 39(6): 585-92
Choi J, Minn KW, Chang H

During the past decade, many studies using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have been conducted in various medical fields, from cardiovascular research to applications for corneal diseases. Nonetheless, there are several limitations of practical applications of PRP and ASCs. Most reports of PRP are anecdotal and few include controls to determine the specific role of PRP. There is little consensus regarding PRP production and characterization. Some have reported the development of an antibody to bovine thrombin, which was the initiator of platelet activation. In the case of ASCs, good manufacturing practices are needed for the production of clinical-grade human stem cells, and in vitro expansion of ASCs requires approval of the Korea Food and Drug Administration, such that considerable expense and time are required. Additionally, some have reported that ASCs could have a potential risk of transformation to malignant cells. Therefore, the authors tried to investigate the latest research on the efficacy and safety of PRP and ASCs and report on the current state and regulation of these stem cell-based therapies.
HubMed – drug

 

Toward a clinical practice guide in pharmacogenomics testing for functional polymorphisms of drug-metabolizing enzymes. Gene/drug pairs and barriers perceived in Spain.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Front Genet. 2012; 3: 273
Agúndez JA, Abad-Santos F, Aldea A, Alonso-Navarro H, Bernal ML, Borobia AM, Borrás E, Carballo M, Carvajal A, García-Muñiz JD, Gervasini G, Jiménez-Jiménez FJ, Lucena MI, Martínez C, Sacristán JA, Salado I, Sinués B, Vicente J, García-Martín E

The development of clinical practice recommendations or guidelines for the clinical use of biomarkers is an issue of great importance with regard to adverse drug reactions. The potential of pharmacogenomic biomarkers has been extensively investigated in recent years. However, several barriers to implementing the use of pharmacogenomics testing exist. We conducted a survey among members of the Spanish Societies of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology to obtain information about the perception of such barriers and to compare the perceptions of participants about the relative importance of major gene/drug pairs. Of 11 potential barriers, the highest importance was attributed to lack of institutional support for pharmacogenomics testing, and to the issues related to the lack of guidelines. Of the proposed gene/drug pairs the highest importance was assigned to HLA-B/abacavir, UGT1A1/irinotecan, and CYP2D6/tamoxifen. In this perspective article, we compare the relative importance of 29 gene/drug pairs in the Spanish study with that of the same pairs in the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics study, and we provide suggestions and areas of focus to develop a guide for clinical practice in pharmacogenomics testing.
HubMed – drug

 

CyclinD1 protein plays different roles in modulating chemoresponses in MCF7 and MDA-MB231 cells.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

J Carcinog. 2012; 11: 12
Sun Y, Luo D, Liao DJ

CyclinD1 is an essential sensor and activator of cell cycle initiation and progression; overexpression of cyclinD1 is linked to various human cancers, including breast cancer. The elevated cyclinD1 in some types of cancers is believed to be associated with tumor progression and response to systemic treatments.In this study, we anticipate to address the questions in human breast cancer; the function of cyclinD1 in mediating chemoresponses; and the signaling pathway cooperating with cyclinD1 to interfere with the drug functions.Using the cell clones, concurrent ectopic expression of the wild-type or K112E-mutated human cyclinD1 protein in the MCF7 and MDA-MB231 (MB231) breast cancer cells to study the function of cyclinD1 in responses to the chemotherapeutic treatments. Three drugs, cisplatin (CDDP), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and Gemzar were used in this study; the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, cell cycle and cell death analysis, clonogenic survival assay, acridine orange (AO)/ethidium bromide (EB) staining, and Western blot assay were conducted to evaluate the drugs’ effects in the cell clones.The cell clones expressing the D1 protein in MCF7 and MB231 cells result in distinct effects on the responses to chemotherapeutic treatments. Particularly with Gemzar, ectopic expression of cyclinD1 protein in MCF7 cells results in a potentiated effect, which is CDK4 kinase activity dependent, whereas in MB231 cells, an opposite effect was observed. Moreover, our results suggested that the distinct chemosensitivities among those cell clones were not resulted from accelerated cell cycle, cell proliferation driven by the cyclinD1CDK4/6-Rb-E2F signaling chain, rather, they were results of the cell cycle-independent functions led by cyclinD1 alone or in complex with CDK4.Our results suggest that the functions of cyclinD1 protein in modulating chemoresponses in the MCF7 and MB231 cells are independent to its function as cell cycle initiator through activation of CDK4/6. Furthermore, the signals modulated by cyclinD1 upon treatment are determined by the drug and the cellular network.
HubMed – drug

 

Cost and appropriateness of treating asthma with fixed-combination drugs in local health care units in Italy.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Clinicoecon Outcomes Res. 2012; 4: 375-82
Ruggeri I, Bragato D, Colombo GL, Valla E, Di Matteo S

Bronchial asthma is a chronic airways disease and is considered to be one of the major health problems in the Western world. During the last decade, a significant increase in the use of ?2-agonists in combination with inhaled corticosteroids has been observed. The aim of this study was to assess the appropriateness of expenditure on these agents in an asthmatic population treated in a real practice setting.This study used data for a resident population of 635,906 citizens in the integrated patient database (Banca Dati Assistito) of a local health care unit (Milano 2 Azienda Sanitaria Locale) in the Lombardy region over 3 years (2007-2009). The sample included 3787-4808 patients selected from all citizens aged ? 18 years entitled to social security benefits, having a prescription for a corticosteroid + ?2-agonist combination, and an ATC code corresponding to R03AK, divided into three groups, ie, pressurized (spray) drugs, inhaled powders, and extrafine formulations. Patients with chronic obstructive lung disease were excluded. Indicators of appropriateness were 1-3 packs per year (underdosed, inappropriate), 4-12 packs per year (presumably appropriate), and ?13 packs per year (overtreatment, inappropriate).The corticosteroid + ?2-agonist combination per treated asthmatic patient increased from 37% in 2007 to 45% in 2009 for the total of prescribed antiasthma drugs, and 28%-32% of patients used the drugs in an appropriate manner (4-12 packs per years). The cost of inappropriately used packs increased combination drug expenditure by about 40%, leading to inefficient use of health care resources. This trend improved during the 3-year observation period. The mean annual cost per patient was higher for powders (€223.95) and sprays (€224.83) than for extrafine formulation (€142.71).Based on this analysis, we suggest implementation of better health care planning and more appropriate prescription practices aimed at optimizing use of health care resources for the treatment of bronchial asthma. The results of our study should be extended to other regional/national reference local health care units, in order to define and compare average standard costs per pathology, and consolidated through the wide sample considered.
HubMed – drug

 

Silica-coated flexible liposomes as a nanohybrid delivery system for enhanced oral bioavailability of curcumin.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Int J Nanomedicine. 2012; 7: 5995-6002
Li C, Zhang Y, Su T, Feng L, Long Y, Chen Z

We investigated flexible liposomes as a potential oral drug delivery system. However, enhanced membrane fluidity and structural deformability may necessitate liposomal surface modification when facing the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract. In the present study, silica-coated flexible liposomes loaded with curcumin (CUR-SLs) having poor water solubility as a model drug were prepared by a thin-film method with homogenization, followed by the formation of a silica shell by the sol-gel process. We systematically investigated the physical properties, drug release behavior, pharmacodynamics, and bioavailability of CUR-SLs. CUR-SLs had a mean diameter of 157 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.14, while the apparent entrapment efficiency was 90.62%. Compared with curcumin-loaded flexible liposomes (CUR-FLs) without silica-coatings, CUR-SLs had significantly higher stability against artificial gastric fluid and showed more sustained drug release in artificial intestinal fluid as determined by in vitro release assays. The bioavailability of CUR-SLs and CUR-FLs was 7.76- and 2.35-fold higher, respectively, than that of curcumin suspensions. Silica coating markedly improved the stability of flexible liposomes, and CUR-SLs exhibited a 3.31-fold increase in bioavailability compared with CUR-FLs, indicating that silica-coated flexible liposomes may be employed as a potential carrier to deliver drugs with poor water solubility via the oral route with improved bioavailability.
HubMed – drug

 

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